Nonsurgical Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction Glossary of Terms

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Angina: Chest pain due to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart muscle. The pain is ...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

Anticoagulant: An agent that is used to prevent the formation of blood clots. Anticoagulan...

Antifungal: A medication that limits or prevents the growth of yeasts and other fungal org...

Antifungal medication: A drug used to treat fungal infections.

Antigen: A substance that the immune system perceives as being foreign or dangerous. The b...

Back pain: Pain felt in the low or upper back. Causes of pain in the low and upper back in...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Blurred vision: Lack of sharpness of vision with, as a result, the inability to see fine d...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chest pain: Pain in the chest that can be a result of many things, including angina, heart...

Congestion: An abnormal or excessive accumulation of a body fluid. The term is used broadl...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

Dilating: The widening and opening of an opening, such as the cervix or esophagus. For exa...

Dizziness: Painless head discomfort with many possible causes including disturbances of ...

Dysfunction: Difficult function or abnormal function.

Ecstasy: 1. A state of rapture and trancelike elation.
2. A street nam...

Ejaculation: Ejection of sperm and seminal fluid during an orgasm in a male.

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Enzyme: A protein (or protein-based molecule) that speeds up a chemical reaction in a livi...

Erectile dysfunction: A consistent inability to sustain an erection sufficient for sexual ...

Erythromycin: Erythromycin is a common antibiotic for treating bacterial infection. Sold...

FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

Food and Drug Administration: An agency within the US Public Health Service that provides ...

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is ...

Herbal: 1. An adjective, referring to herbs, as in an herbal tea.
2. A...

High blood pressure: A repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg. Chro...

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activit...

Hypotension: Any blood pressure that is below the normal expected for an individual in a ...

Impotence: A common problem among men characterized by the consistent inability to sustai...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Kidney stone: A stone in the kidney or a stone that originates in the kidney but has passe...

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Laparoscopy: A type of surgery in which small incisions are made in the abdominal wall thr...

Libido: 1. Sexual drive. 2. In psychoanalysis, the psychic energy from all ...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Nasal: Having to do with the nose.

Oncology: The field of medicine that is devoted to cancer. Clinical oncology consists of t...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Penile: Of or pertaining to the penis.

Penis: The external male sex organ. The penis contains two chambers, the corpora cavernosa...

Pharmacist: A professional who fills prescriptions and, in the case of a compounding pharm...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Placebo: A "sugar pill" or any dummy medication or treatment.

Priapism: Abnormally persistent erection of the penis in the absence of desire. Treatments...

Prostate: A gland within the male reproductive system that is located just below the blad...

Prostate cancer: A malignant tumor of the prostate, the gland that produces some of the co...

Prostate specific antigen: Widely known as PSA. See: PSA.

Prosthesis: An artificial replacement of a part of the body, such as a tooth, a facial bon...

PSA: Prostate specific antigen. A test for PSA may be used to screen for cancer of the p...

Reproductive system: In women, the organs that are directly involved in producing eggs and...

Semen: The fluid that is released through the penis during orgasm. Semen is made up of flu...

Sensitivity: 1. In psychology, the quality of being sensitive. As, for example, sen...

Serum: The clear liquid that can be separated from clotted blood. Serum differs from plas...

Spinal cord: The major column of nerve tissue that is connected to the brain and lies with...

Spinal cord injury: Trauma or damage to the spinal cord, the major column of nerve tissue ...

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Tension: 1) The pressure within a vessel, such as blood pressure: the pressure within t...

Testosterone: A "male hormone" -- a sex hormone produced by the testes that encourages th...

Testosterone replacement therapy: The practice of giving testosterone to treat conditions...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Topical: Pertaining to a particular surface area. For example, a topical agent is applied ...

Urethra: The tube that leads from the bladder and transports and discharges urine outside ...

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

Urologist: A physician who specializes in diseases of the urinary organs in females and th...

Vascular: Relating to blood vessels. For example, the vascular system in the body includes...

Vasodilators: Agents that act as blood vessel dilators (vasodilators) and open vessels by ...